Marine decking

ABSTRACT

Marine decking comprises a panel of wood blocks embedded in a bedding composition with a rubbery grouting composition between the blocks. The decking is laid by spreading the bedding composition, before the composition has set embedding the panel therein, and after setting applying the grouting composition.

[ Feb. 4, 1975 United States Patent Franchi 2,938,376 5/1960 Workman et52/386 X 3,740,911

[ 1 MARINE DECKING 6/1973 OLeary........ 52/388 [75] Inventor:

Vicenzo Franchi, Hornsey, England FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONSAssignee: Franchi Wood Mosaic Company Limited, London, England Mar. 19,1973 [21] Appl. No.: 342,480

101,894 9/1937 Austra1ia..............,.......;...

966,870 10/1950 France..

507,976 1/1952 Belgium....

490,720 8/1937 Great Britain....

787,169 12/1957 Great Britain..................

13,602 1/1897 Switzerland....................,.

[22] Filed:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 21, 1972 GreatBritain....................

Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, Jr.

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Frank J. Jordan ABSTRACT Marine deckingcomprises a panel of wood blocks embedded in a bedding composition witha rubbery grouting composition between the blocks. The decking is laidby spreading the bedding composition, be-

[56] Ref r n Cit d fore the composition has set embedding the panelUNITED STATES PATENTS therein, and after setting applying the groutingcompo- 2,037,465 4/1936 Gibson et 2,869,355 l/1959 Bowlden 3 Claims, 2Drawing Figures PATENTEU FEB 19 5 sum 1 or 2 FIG. I.

PATENTEB F 4W5 sum 20F 2 MARINE DECKING The invention relates toexternal marine decking and a method of laying it.

Marine decking according to the invention comprises a beddingcomposition having embedded therein a panel of wood blocks held togetherin mutually spaced relationship, the blocks having dovetail groovesalong lower edges, and a rubbery grouting composition between theblocks. The decking may include a levelling latex underlay.

The blocks may be held together by a sized textile mesh, preferably ofcotton, the mesh preferably being from one eighth to three eighths inch(about 3 to 9 mm) across, preferably one quarter inch (about 6 mm)square. Alternatively, the blocks are preferably held together bystaples on the under side, the staples generally extending laterally atthe middle and ends of each block, giving a total of eight staplesentering each block. Additional longitudinal rigidity may be provided bystaples between the ends of adjacent blocks at the edges of the panel.Alternatively again, the blocks may be held together in a panelinitially by a sheet material such as paper adhering to the uppersurface. In this case, the blocks are held together in spacedrelationship in the finished decking by the bedding and groutingcompositions after the paper has been removed. Each panel is preferablyabout 2 feet (60 cm) by about 18 inches (45 cm).

The wood blocks are preferably of hard wood such as teak, preferably ofsquare or approximately square cross-section, and several times as longas they are across. The preferred dimensions are /2 inches (about 140mm) long X "/8 inch (about 22 mm) wide X inch (about 19 mm) thick. Thepreferred spacing between adjacent blocks is one eighth inch (about 3mm). In order to improve adhesion, a longitudinal groove may be cutalong the middle of the underside of each block about as deep as thedovetail grooves, that is about one eighth inch (about 3 mm) wide andnot more than three sixteenth inch (about 4.5 mm) deep, for example asaw cut.

The method of laying marine decking according to the invention comprisesspreading bedding composition on the deck, before the composition hasset, embedding therein a panel of wood blocks held together in mutuallyspaced relationship, the blocks having dovetail grooves along loweredges, and, after the bedding composition has set, applying a groutingcomposition between the blocks. I

Prior to laying, the deck should be clean and level. A levelling latexunderlay may first be applied, generally over the whole area to be laid,and allowed to set before the bedding composition is spread. The beddingcomposition is generally spread over a small area at a time, and theembedding therein of the blocks coordinated therewith so that thecomposition does not set before the embedding. In the embedding, thebedding composition should pass up between the blocks and cooperate withthe dovetail grooves to retain the blocks in position. After the beddingcomposition has set, the grouting composition is applied, and after thegrouting composition has set, the decking should be finished by sanding.

The panels may be made by mounting the blocks on the mesh by means of anadhesive such as a waterbased polyvinyl acetate. In the preferredalternative method, the blocks are stapled together after arrangement ina jig with the undersides uppermost in the desired spaced relationship,for example by means of a hydraulically operated bank of staplers. Inthe other method, the blocks are arranged in the jig with the uppersurface uppermost, and a sheet of material is made to adhere to them.

The bedding composition, grouting composition and latex underlay mayeach be such as would naturally be adopted by a man skilled in theappropriate art. By way of example only, we mention that the beddingcomposition may consist of:

natural rubber latex. fully stabilized. 30% by wci ht solids. modifiedwith anti-foam and the grouting composition may consist of: Ycarboxylated styrene/butadiene rubber latex, 40% by weight solids. Inplace of the styrene/butadiene latex, other synthetic rubber laticessuch as those of neoprene or an acrylic or vinyl copolymer.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the drawings of which:

FIG. 1 shows a cut-away section of external marine decking;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the underside of a small panel of teakblocks held together by staples to illustrate the manner of use of afull size panel in the preferred alternative form of decking accordingto the invention.

In FIG. 1 a metal external marine deck 1, with a weld 2, has a levellinglatex underlay 3 thereon. On the underlay 3, there is a beddingcomposition 4 having embedded therein a sized cotton textile mesh 5 withteak blocks 6 secured thereto by means of adhesive. The blocks 6 have adovetail groove 7 along each lower edge to assist in retention by thecomposition 4. A rubbery grouting composition 8 is between the upperparts of adjacent blocks. This decking has much of the good weatheringand wear characteristics and attractive appearance of solid teakdecking.

In FIG. 2, the blocks 6 are held together by staples l0, and alongitudinal groove or saw cut 12 is shown on one block only forillustration. The staples 10.are all transverse except those at theedges of the panel.

What we claim is:

l. The method of laying marine decking on a deck area, comprisingforming dovetail grooves along the lower edges of wood blocks, securingtogether a plurality of said wood blocks in mutually spaced relationshipto form a panel, spreading a bedding composition on the deck area,pressing said panel of wood blocks into said bedding composition beforethe latter has set such that the bedding composition passes up betweensaid wood blocks as said panel is pressed, allowing said beddingmaterial to set such that the set bedding material cooperates with saiddovetail grooves to retain said wood blocks on said deck area, andapplying a grouting material between said wood blocks.

2. The method according to claim 1 including utilizing staples to securesaid plurality of wood blocks to form said panel.

3. The method according to claim 1 including securing said plurality ofspaced wood blocks to a sized textile mesh.

1. The method of laying marine decking on a deck area, comprisingforming dovetail grooves along the lower edges of wood blocks, securingtogether a plurality of said wood blocks in mutually spaced relationshipto form a panel, spreading a bedding composition on the deck area,pressing said panel of wood blocks into said bedding composition beforethe latter has set such that the bedding composition passes up betweensaid wood blocks as said panel is pressed, allowing said beddingmaterial to set such that the set bedding material cooperates with saiddovetail grooves to retain said wood blocks on said deck area, andapplying a grouting material between said wood blocks.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1 including utilizing staples to secure saidplurality of wood blocks to form said panel.
 3. The method according toclaim 1 including securing said plurality of spaced wood blocks to asized textile mesh.